


The Naming of Things

by slash4femme



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, M/M, Pre-Slash, Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-05
Updated: 2010-02-05
Packaged: 2019-02-05 07:30:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12789744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slash4femme/pseuds/slash4femme
Summary: Gaara says something and Naruto finally, finally gets a clue





	The Naming of Things

**Author's Note:**

> For G. who did sad puppy dog eyes. Not beta'd, sorry guys.

It’s Gaara who says it first, surprisingly enough.

_Your most important person_

Gaara says and everything inside of Naruto goes suddenly very cold and still.

They’d been talking or at least Naruto had been talking and the Kazekage had been looking vacantly into space. Naruto’s vocalized stream of consciousness had been going merrily on its way when he’d stumbled right into that part of his mind where He Did Not Go.

Sasuke

He literally stops dead, fists clenching without even realizing it and Gaara stops too and gives him a perplexed sideways look.

“Sasuke” Naruto’s head bows all his energy and joy suddenly gone “he used to say that all the time.”

Gaara stares at him for a long moment and then turns to look out over the desert again.

“I am sorry,” he says voice as flat and monotone as ever, “that he had to be your most important person.”

Naruto blinks because for one that had been almost nice and despite Gaara’s, frankly awe-inspiriting, attempts to become more human he isn’t generally ‘nice’. Also it’s downright creepy to hear one of Fuzzy-Brows’ phrases coming from Gaara, totally devoid of cheery determination or Good Guy pose. Then and only then does the full impact of the words actually catch up with him.

_Most important person_

Naruto’s mind reels back because that phrase is supposed to describe a lover, that special person you wanted to spend the rest of your life with and Sasuke . . .

_Most important person_

There was no one Naruto had ever cared about more than Sasuke, no one else he’d ever fought that hard to save. Both Lee and Gai would open all their Gates for their most important person, would fight and die for that person, it was their ninja way. It was every Shinobi’s ninja way. Naruto remembers swearing to Sasuke that he’d bring him back even if he had to break every bone in Sasuke’s body to do it. He all too clearly remembers the feeling when he hadn’t succeeded.

_You train for him,_ he thinks suddenly, _it’s not about being Hokage any more, hasn’t been for a long time, it’s about him._

Naruto remembers holding Sasuke in his arms when the other boy had nearly died saving his life. He remembers Sasuke’s words, “I will not lose you too, I will not watch you die.” He wonders if Sasuke had looked back when he walked away from Naruto for the last time.

While Naruto’s been deep in thought Gaara has evidently gotten bored of staring out into the desert from the Suna’s ramparts and starts heading back toward the village. Naruto follows the slightly smaller man, mind still mulling over what Gaara had said. He scratches the back of his head and thinks maybe Gaara’s right about that.

The Bastard just might be his most important person after all.


End file.
